too much roughage??

[etstreiff]

I have been having digestive problems for the last 4 days(diarrhea but I am not sick). This is the 8th day participating in Whole30. Any advice? Basically I have been eating lots of veggies, a small amount of fruit and a 4oz piece of meat for lunch and dinner. (2eggs for breakfast). I would love to hear advice from those who have been through this. Thank You!!

 

etstreiff

[GFChris]

Sorry you're experiencing this.

Can you post 2-3 days' worth of your food log, including the specific protein, vegetables, fats and fruits you're eating, as well as beverages you're drinking? Approximate amounts of each too, plus whether you're eating any foods you didn't eat pre-Whole30. Folks here may be able to give you suggestions after reviewing those details.

[etstreiff]

Here is what I have eaten from Monday until now. Monday, two eggs fried in 1T. Olive oil with 1/4 cup gr. pepper and 2 sliced mushrooms, a cup of black coffee and 1/4 cup blueberry pomegranate juice(100%). Lunch: 10 shrimp with 1 tomato and 1/2 avocado, 1 granny smith apple with 1/2T almond butter and a large cup of Benagal Spice herbal tea. Supper: 1/2Cpicnic type ham, 1/2 small bk potato, 1/2 c green beans with bacon, 1/4 c cauliflower/broccoli. only water to drink .snack: 1Tpumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and unsweetened coconut.

Tuesday: Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1c smoothy made with 1/4 c blueberry, 1/4 c strawberry, 1 med banana and 1/4 c orange juice( fresh sqeezed) Lunch: 1/2 can white albacore tuna w/ homemade mayo 9whole30 recipe), 1 granny smith apple with 1/2 T almond butter and large c ofBengal spice herbal tea. snack: 1T pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and unsweetened coconut. Supper: hamburger patty, 1-2 slices grilled onions, 8 asparagus spears grilled, a romaine lettuce salad with a whole30 dressing. Later 1 large cup Bengal Spice herbal tea (as you can see this is my favorite tea)

Today: Breakfast: 3 boiled eggs, 1 cup coffee, 1 cup herbal tea. Lunch: 1/2 chicken breast baked in olive oil and spices, 1/2 tomato, a pickle, and a handful of grapes. Also a cup of tea. Supper will be: 4oz serving of pork loin, corn, French cut beans and tea. If I need a snack it will be the same as the snacks above. I also stop eating at 8:00pm.

If you have any insight or see any mistakes, I would appreciate help. My goal is to lose the weight that premenopause has begun to creep on and to stay on track for my husband who has very high BP. Thanks

[ladyshanny]

I can't say why you might be having digestive upset...but I really don't think you're eating enough.

 

First, smoothies and juice are highly discouraged on the Whole30, they do not provide any sort of signal to your body that you are consuming calories (mods can chime in with the actual sciency part).  Juice and smoothies are also like a sugar-bomb directly to your insides...not the best you could do for yourself.

 

Second, if you are using eggs for your protein, the measurement is how many you can hold in your hand so unless you are an extremely tiny woman, you should be looking at 3-4 at a minimum...although I do see you increased the egg allotment today.

 

Third, you are eating a lot of fruit compared to the amount of veggies that you have noted.  Veggies should be 2-4 cups per meal, three times per day. (from your layout I see about the equivalent of 4-5 cups of veggies between Monday & now.....).  Fruit should never push veggies off your plate.

 

And now that I look at that...maybe I can comment (from my own experience) on why you might be having loose bowels.  Too much fruit and not enough other food...your body and digestive system need the bulk and volume that veggies gives so that you actually have solids passing through your system.

 

It looks like you are very aware and are trying to get variety, that's great.  Just up those veggies, make sure your protein and fat match the template (palm and thumb respectively) and you should start to feel better.

[etstreiff]

Thanks! I will work on adjusting that right away. It makes sense that I was making fruit too much of my plate as I can be quite the sugar addict. I work to only use fruit a ton less and add more veggies and protein. I on the smaller side, only 5'4 but am quite surprised that I am not completely ravenous in the last week. I actually have had a week where hunger is not a problem between meals for the first time in ages. I was diagnosed with HashimotoThyroditis a few years back but the dr. has removed that diagnosis off my chart. They now say that the slightly low chemical in my pituitary gland is my "normal". I am hoping this will help adjust some of these problems. Thanks again for helping me get this right!

[prairieportia]

I'm afraid I see two non-compliant foods in your log.  Ham and corn.  Ham almost always contains sugar and/or other sweeteners (and potentially other additives that are non-compliant).  And corn is considered a grain, not a veg on the Whole30.  It sounds like you are doing well with the mental part of this, so perhaps starting fresh (using the advice you get here) will not be too hard.

[Physibeth]

I would also highly encourage you to eat more. Compose your meals using the meal planning template. Print it out and put it up on your fridge. I'm also 5'4" and I eat 3-4x what you are eating. I eat 4 whole eggs just about every morning because that is how many I can hold. 

 

And yes, corn is definitely not compliant and it is highly probably the ham was not either.

 

You can do this!

[etstreiff]

so there is sugar in a bone in picnic ham?? I just assumed it was fine because it wasn't listed in the ingredients. I just realized the corn thing yesterday. Oops! day one began again today.

[Physibeth]

so there is sugar in a bone in picnic ham?? I just assumed it was fine because it wasn't listed in the ingredients. I just realized the corn thing yesterday. Oops! day one began again today.

 

Commonly there is, but if your ingredient label was clean then that was fine.